BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

North Korea has unveiled footage of people in Pyongyang spending time outdoors, in a move seen as a response to foreign reports about the country struggling to contain Covid-19.

The state-run DPRK Today website uploaded two three-minute clips on 13 May showing citizens visiting department stores and parks with family and friends. Most of the employees and visitors are wearing masks.

Although there was no direct mention of Covid-19, a shop assistant quoted in the video said there were enough groceries to meet demand, and one visitor said she came out for shopping at least three times a week.

Though Pyongyang denies having coronavirus cases, news reports have emerged in recent weeks suggesting North Korea is struggling with a lack of supplies and witnessing a panic-buying spree.

Image source, Getty Images

Russia's latest coronavirus figures show 10,598 new confirmed cases on Friday, pushing its nationwide tally to 262,843.

The country has struggled to get daily increases below 10,000 for days.

But it looks as though President Vladimir Putin has run out of patience with the virus, reports our Moscow correspondent Sarah Rainsford.

He is keen to end the lockdown and has sent millions of workers back to factories.

"For the first time in his active political life, Putin is faced by a problem which is absolutely not under his control and which broke all of his plans," says Chatham House political analyst Nikolai Petrov.

Read more here

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

With the government under pressure over deaths in UK care homes, Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis has denied that its advice was in "chaos" as the virus spread.

He was challenged over guidance about the virus spreading in the community, which did not change until 13 March - even though the government had informed the World Health Organization that community transmission was happening at the end of February.

"I’m sorry but I don’t agree," Mr Lewis told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. He said the government had "worked closely" with care homes to ensure "the guidance and support was there".

Germany has plunged into a recession after suffering its steepest quarterly contraction since the 2009 financial crisis.

Europe's biggest economy shrank by 2.2% in the first three months of 2020, after shops and businesses were shut in mid-March to fight the spread of coronavirus.

However, the drop is not as bad as in other major economies such as France (5.8%) and Italy (4.7%). This is partly due to a decision by Germany's 16 states to allow factories and construction sites to stay open, and an unprecedented rescue package by the government.

Economists expect a deeper slump in the second quarter of the year, as the full effects of the lockdown become apparent.

Image source, Getty Images

Teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg has warned that children's rights are being put at risk during the coronavirus pandemic, pointing to poorer pupils who lose access to food when schools close.

She also warned that reports wrongly suggesting children cannot contract the virus could jeopardise their health. The 17-year-old self-isolated in her home country of Sweden in March, after displaying symptoms.

"People are starting to realise that we are actually depending on science and that we need to listen to scientists and experts. And I really hope that stays," she said.

She expressed hope that other crises "such as the climate crisis and the environmental crisis" would see the same trend.

Her comments came at a CNN panel discussion on Thursday.

Angie Brown
BBC Scotland news reporter

UK newlyweds Monica and Matt McAllister had their plans for a dream safari cancelled - so they decided to have their honeymoon at home instead.

The couple had just returned home to Edinburgh after getting married in Ireland when the coronavirus lockdown was announced.

Their plans for a safari in South Africa and Mauritius were called off, but the pair still had three weeks off work.

"Instead of being worried about the trip we had just lost, we thought let's make the most of the time and have our honeymoon here - so that's what we did," said 31-year-old Matt.

"I made my wife breakfast in bed, went on romantic walks and pretended to see African wildlife, ate alfresco outside, got dressed up, and had candlelit dinners.

"We even got sunburned in our garden, just like we would have done on our honeymoon."

Read more here

Image source, Matt McAllister

Slovenia has become the first European country to declare an official end to its coronavirus epidemic. The Balkan EU member state has a population of two million and has seen only a handful of daily cases in the past fortnight. In total it reported 1,464 cases and 103 deaths. There'll be no more quarantine if you're travelling to Slovenia from another EU country.

Image source, Slovenian health ministry

In other news:

• Researchers say Belgium has seen its highest April mortality rate since World War Two. The team at Vrije Universiteit Brussel say the southern city of Mons and Brussels itself were hit particularly hard
• The three Baltic states - Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia - have resumed free movement in their own "Baltic bubble", by land, sea and air. Read more here
• Russia has declared another 10,598 new infections and 113 more deaths in the past 24 hours - it has now seen 262,843 cases
• Restaurants and cafes are reopening in Austria. Tables should be at least a metre apart, there should be a maximum of four adults plus children. No salt-shakers are allowed on tables
• Germany is gearing up for a return to Bundesliga football on Saturday - but an ARD opinion poll suggests 56% of Germans believe it's too early

Image source, Getty Images

About 10 million pigs could be killed by mid-September, external, the organisation representing the US pork industry has warned.

The National Pork Producers Council says farmers unable to send their livestock to processing factories will be left with no choice but to destroy the animals. If they don't, farmers will run out of space and food for their livestock.

Meat factories in the US have closed or reduced capacity because of the coronavirus pandemic. In April President Donald Trump ordered meat-packing businesses to stay open. But pork-processing capacity is down by nearly 40%.

There are around 14,000 confirmed coronavirus infections, external in meat-processing factories and at least 54 employees have died, according to CBS News.

Lockdown restrictions in the Philippines are impeding efforts to help victims of Typhoon Vongfong, which struck the east of the country on Thursday.

Relief workers are trying to move hundreds of thousands of people into evacuation centres, but social distancing rules have thrown up complications.

Some 200,000 people need to be rescued from their homes amid fears of flooding or landslides.

“This is really a nightmare for us,” Ben Evardone, governor of the Eastern Samar province, told CNN Philippines. “Our problem right now is where to squeeze our people, while making sure they practice social distancing.”

Typhoon Vongfong is the first to hit the country this year. The Philippines has confirmed more than 11,000 covid infections and 790 deaths.

Image source, Getty Images

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

Image source, Getty Images

Dr David Nabarro, the World Health Organization's special envoy for Covid-19, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the UK needs to be "very careful" in opening up from lockdown as it still has "a lot of virus around".

"As soon as movement does restart all over the country there could well be many, many outbreaks," he said.

He said the nation faces a "massive task" to recruit and train the thousands of contact tracers who will be needed to implement an effective test, trace and isolate strategy.

"That’s been shown in other countries to be the key to living with this virus as a constant threat, and getting on with life," he said. "It’s not second waves, it’s a constant threat."

Capacity to test, trace and isolate needs to be in place before lockdowns are lifted, he said. "Lockdown is freezing the virus in place and giving us time to get ready so when we release the lockdown we are better prepared."

Image source, Getty Images

Some businesses in the US state of Wisconsin have reopened after the state's supreme court overturned the governor’s stay-at-home order.

The judges ruled that Governor Tony Evers, a Democrat, does not have the power to impose a statewide lockdown.

Commenting on the move, President Donald Trump tweeted, external: "The people want to get on with their lives. The place is bustling!"

But there has been confusion as some local leaders in cities such as Milwaukee and Appleton, as well as in Dane, Brown and Kenosha counties, have kept lockdowns in place.

It means that, under city rules, some businesses cannot open until 26 May - but those in neighbouring counties can open immediately.

The coronavirus spreads easily and most of the world's population is still vulnerable to it.

A vaccine would provide some protection by training people's immune systems.

But how easy is it to create a vaccine? And when could we expect one to be ready? The BBC's health correspondent Laura Foster takes a look:

Marianna Brady
BBC News, Washington

Coronavirus has Americans picking up two new summer accessories: a mask and an alcoholic to-go drink.

After weeks of sheltering in place, many are looking for ways to cut loose.

With bars and restaurants closed to the public in most states, and summer weather approaching, they're heading outdoors to relax and socialise.

And for some, that means having a drink - sometimes in spite of the law.

Veteran drinks writer Amanda Schuster says that in her neighbourhood of Brooklyn, New York, "it seems like everyone's over" prohibitions on public drinking.

"It's as if people have the attitude that 'no-one's going to arrest us for this when they have other things to do,'" says Schuster, editor-in-chief for online magazine Alcohol Professor.

Read the full story here

Image source, Getty Images

Millions of workers across the UK are doing their jobs from makeshift set-ups in their living rooms and kitchens, while those in England who can't work from home are now encouraged to go back in if they can do so safely.

But how exposed to coronavirus might you be in your job? And how does that compare to others?

Data from the UK's Office for National Statistics, based on a US survey, puts into context the risk of exposure to disease, as well as the amount of close human contact workers had before social distancing and other safety measures were introduced.

• Click here to see how your job ranks

Image source, Getty Images

• The International Olympic Committee has set aside $800m (£654m) to help with the "severe" financial impact caused by the postponement of Tokyo 2020. Organisers will get $650m after this summer's Games were put back to 2021. The other $150m is set to be split into loans for international sports federations and national Olympic committees
• The UK government says it is "opening the door" for the return of professional football in England in June. Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said Thursday's meeting with the Football Association, Premier League and English Football League had "progressed plans"
• Newcastle racecourse would host the first fixture under plans for British horse racing's return behind closed doors next month. Racing in Britain has been suspended since 17 March but - if a return is approved by the government - the Newcastle meeting would be held on 1 June

Image source, EPA

Much of Europe is still closed to travellers to contain the spread of coronavirus, but some countries have begun limited border openings.

On Friday a "Baltic bubble" will open, allowing people in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to travel freely between the three countries. It includes travel by rail, air, and sea.

A quarantine remains in place for visitors from other countries.

None of the three nations reported more than seven new cases on Wednesday, according to Reuters. Together they have seen under 150 deaths in total.

The EU has promised there will be a European summer tourist season in some form. The industry provides almost 10% of Europe's economic output.

Image source, EPA

Image source, EPA

Simon Atkinson
BBC News, Sydney

Image source, EPA

Administrators at Australia’s second-largest airline, Virgin Australia, say they’re expecting to receive eight bids for the carrier - and are likely to whittle them down to a shortlist of about three. Deloitte added that binding offers need to be made by mid-June.

The carrier - which was hit hard by domestic and international travel restrictions - continues to operate a skeleton service.

There's also some good news for Australians who had been saving the frequent flyer points issued by the airline.

A freeze had been put on redeeming those points while the future of Virgin Australia was being resolved, but passengers have been told they can now use them to book flights on domestic routes from September onwards - and there’ll be full refunds if passengers or the airline cancel flights.

The coronavirus pandemic has brought big changes in the centuries-old House of Commons. The BBC's Jonathan Blake reports from behind the scenes at Parliament.

From webcam consultations to car park observations, Dr Ollie Hart, from Sheffield, describes some of the changes at his surgery.

• When cancelled operations and other treatments resume in the National Health Service, there must be adequate safety measures, health unions say. That includes speedy testing and sufficient availability of personal protective equipment for staff
• Meanwhile doctors have been told not to speak out about shortages of protective equipment, the BBC has been told
• A row over whether it is safe to reopen schools on 1 June is ongoing. Unions say it would put the health of teachers at risk and it is still too early. On Friday one of England's largest group of primary schools says they will open their 35 schools on 1 June
• A large rail company has revealed its plans for social distancing on board its trains. Avanti, which runs services on the West Coast mainline, says passengers must wear face masks on board and that they should not turn up without a booking
• And Wales's plan for exiting the lockdown is to be published today